2 John Simplified

Scripture Reading: 2 John

Author & Audience

Author: Calls Himself “the Elder”

Because of Many of the Same Topics and Phrases…

It Seems Obvious that Whoever Wrote John and 1 John…

Is the Same Author of 2 John

All 3 Talk About the “New Commandment” of Loving One Another

Both 1 & 2 John Say that to Love God is to Keep His Commandments

Both Call Those Who Deny Jesus Came in a Physical Body “Antichrist”

Both Want the Recipients’ Joy to Be Full

The Most Likely Author is the Apostle John

Recipients: The Lady Chosen By God

This Likely Refers to a Local Church, Possibly In/Around Ephesus

Purpose

John has a Couple Purposes with this Short Letter:

To Remind Them to Love One Another

To Warn Them of Deceivers Who will Try to Lead Them Away From Jesus

Read 2 John

2 John 1–4 (NASB95)

1 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.

Was There Any Word that Stuck Out to You in that Passage?

(Highlight the Word Truth)

“Truth” is One of John’s Favorite Words in His Writings

Typically When John Speaks of Truth, He is Speaking of the Gospel

The Gospel is Not Just Something We Believe

It is Something We Live

To Know the Truth/Gospel is to Believe it and Live it

Those Who Know the Gospel Love Those Who Know the Gospel

And John is Very Happy that These Christians…

Are Walking/Living in the Gospel

They are Living According to Jesus’ Kingdom Standards

2 John 5 (NASB95)

5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

John is Asking Them to Do Something

What He’s Asking Isn’t Anything New

In Fact, it’s a Commandment They’ve Always Had

To Love One Another

2 John 6 (NASB95)

6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

Love for God is Obeying His Commandments

And His Commandment is to Love One Another

John Used this Same Argument in His First Letter

We Prove Our Love for God By Loving One Another

The NLT Communicates John’s Point Clearly

2 John 6 (NLT)

6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

2 John 7 (NASB95)

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

This Belief that Jesus Didn’t Actually have a Physical Body…

Would Later Become Known as Docetism

“Docetism” Comes From a Greek Word Meaning “to Seem; to Appear”

They Believed Jesus Only “Seemed/Appeared”…

To have a Physical, Human Body

That is: the Son of God Didn’t Actually Become Fully Human

This Belief Arose From a Dualistic View…

That was Common in Greek Culture:

That Physical Matter (Including Our Physical Bodies)…

Are Inferior to Spiritual/Non-Material Things

“God Couldn’t Possibly Become a Physical Human Being!”

This Belief was Considered Heretical By the Early Church

And John Calls Those Who Follow Such a Belief…

Deceivers and Antichrist

Why was this Belief So Bad?

Because Jesus’ Humanity, Suffering, Death, and Resurrection…

Are Essential Tenets of the Gospel

To Deny that Jesus is Human is to Deny the Entire Gospel

2 John 8–11 (NASB95)

8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

Because These Deceivers/Antichrists are Spreading Their Heresies…

These Christians Need to Be Vigilant

Such a Teaching, if it Were to Slip into the Beliefs of the Church…

Would Cause the Believers to Lost Their Eternal Life

To Stop Believing the Gospel of Jesus…

Results in the Loss of Our Reward

To Believe this Lie Concerning Jesus…

Is to “Go Too Far”

To Believe it is to Not Remain in the True Teaching About Christ

It is to Separate the Believer From God

Teachers Would Often Travel From Place to Place…

And Rely on the Hospitality of the Local Believers

But if a Teacher Came to Their House-Church…

And He Didn’t Teach the Truth About Jesus’ Physical Humanity…

Then They Were to Reject Him

To Show Hospitality to a False Teacher…

Would Be to Accept/Endorse/Participate in…

The Beliefs They Were Teaching

The Letter Ends with:

2 John 12–13 (NASB95)

12 Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. 13 The children of your chosen sister greet you.

Application

As Jesus’ Church, We are Called to Live the Gospel

To Follow Jesus’ Commands as King

His Command, According to John, is to Love One Another

Loving One Another Looks Like Not Allowing Each Other to Fall for False Teachings

Jesus Became Fully Human

He Suffered and Died a Real Death

He Resurrected in His Real Body

And He is Going to Return in that Real Body

Anyone Who Believes Otherwise…

Is Believing a Teaching that the Early Church Considered Heresy

And John Taught that it Would Cause the Loss of Salvation

We Can’t Tolerate that Type of Teaching in Others

And Love Demands that We Not Tolerate it in Each Other

It is Our Loving Christian Duty to Make Sure…

That Our Siblings Remain Faithful to the Truth of the Gospel